Maryland HBA and Local Partners Show Students Where Construction Can Lead

Every October, NAHB and the residential construction industry celebrate Careers in Construction Month, a time to raise awareness of the rewarding opportunities available in the skilled trades. This article is part of a series highlighting the month.

For Maryland students and young adults deciding their next steps, the Frederick County Building Industry Association’s (FCBIA) goal is to help them see how many different paths to success are available in residential construction.

On Oct. 22, more than 1,000 high school students are expected to attend the Frederick County Construction Career Day at the local Harry Grove Stadium for a hands-on experience to learn about career paths in construction, engineering and architecture. FCBIA members will be involved as exhibitors and volunteers to guide the students through small projects and speak about their experiences in residential construction.

“These are our future members. This is the future of building communities,” said FCBIA Executive Officer Danielle Adams. “We are decades away from closing the gap on meeting the needs of our workforce. FCBIA is actively participating with local nonprofits to bridge these gaps and get out from behind the eight ball.”

Recent data from NAHB show that the residential construction industry needs more than 2 million new skilled construction workers in the next three years to keep pace with demand. FCBIA addresses this locally by supporting workforce development efforts such as Construction Career Day, hosted in partnership with the Maryland Center for Construction Education & Innovation.

The FCBIA also partners annually with local nonprofit Empowered to Live on Project GUIDE (Geared Toward Understanding & Identifying Desired Employment), an eight-week career training program that prepares students and young adults for full-time employment, apprenticeships and postsecondary education.

“It’s important for HBAs to get close with the nonprofits in your community,” Adams said. “Find out who the people are who run them and invite them to have a conversation about programming.”

FCBIA members sponsor “lunch and learns” during Project GUIDE to connect directly with students and help them explore career paths, as well as arrange job site visits to see the industry in action. Members have also offered participants internships and employment directly from these experiences.

Adams said the 2026 cohort, which included 17 students, was the fifth successful summer in a row and is so impactful locally that she hopes it can grow into spring and fall programming, too.

“We want more students to find careers in the residential construction industry,” she said. “We want to be the connector between students and the opportunities in our area.”